Carrying The Banner
by Sitanomoto
Summary: In the aftermath of the Strike that the newsies of Manhattan held, a new face appears to help the boys carry the banner.
1. The New Kid

**A/N: This Newsies fanfic is based on the Disney Broadway Musical, not the old movie. The main character is an OC of mine.**

 **I hope you all enjoy it. The next update will be next Monday, but updates might not always be that consistent. Feedback is appreciated!**

Tabitha Howl adjusted her hat as she walked up to the news stand. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her hazel eyes were fierce as she approached the stand. It was New York, 1899, and this was Tabby's first day as a newsboy (er... girl...). She adjusted her vest and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, revealing strong arms.

"PAPES FOR THE NEWSIES, LINE UP BOYS! THESE PAPES AIN'T GONNA SELL THEMSELVES!" She heard a voice yell, and she put her hands in her pockets, gripping her 30 cents tightly. 40 papers was her quota today, and as she moved forward in line she felt the gaze of more and more teenage boys on her back, or more accurately, on her legs. She was wearing a pair of trousers, with high socks and a pair of brown loafers.

"40 Papes," she said, putting her quarter and nickel down on the moneybox.

"Lookie what we got here, boys! A girl!" exclaimed a short, rotund, mustachioed man with an unlit cigar between his lips.

A pair of twins behind him chuckled, and one of them sauntered out from behind the stand. He approached her and got right up in her face. "Hiya, sweetheart."

Tabby glared, clenching her fists, and taking a step back, tensing up and readying a swing.

"Hows about you come with me behind the stand and get to-"

"Ey, Weasel! Maurice! Leave her alone and jus' get her her papes!" She heard a voice from behind her say. A boy limped forward, supported by his crutch, followed by a tall, (admittedly handsome) dark-haired, rascally boy of around the same age.

Weasel coughed. "enough, Maurice, come on back." he handed Tabby the papers, and then moved on to the next newsie.

Tabby shook her head and took her paper bundle, counting them once, twice, three times until she was sure he had given her the right number.

"Hey, miss?" a small voice said, and she felt a tug on the hem of her vest. She looked down to see a boy of about 10 looking up at her with kind eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Kid, Maurice didn't rough you up too bad, did he?" The brown haired boy looked angrily at the twins behind the table.

Tabby shook her head. "Nah, but he needs to learn the meanin' of personal space." she said, sticking her papers in her cloth sack.

"I'm Jack Kelly, this is Crutchie," he gestured over his shoulder and Crutchie waved sheepishly, "This is Les, and this is-"

"Les! Les, here's your papes," a boy with a hawkish nose and a mess of black hair said, handing Les his papers, before doing a double-take at the new girl.

"Davey, Les' older brudda," Jack finished with a chuckle.

Tabby smiled and tipped her hat in greeting. "Hiya fellas."

"You got a name or what?" Jack said back, crossing his arms.

"Tabby. Name's Tabby." She said, winking at Crutchie, who blushed and looked at his shoes.

Davey looked at Les and then at Tabby. "I, ah, heard the commotion."

"Yeah, you looked about ready ta slug Maurice clean into next week's headline!" Crutchie said with a laugh, and the girl couldn't help but smile back.

"Imagine that, huh? ' _New Kid Gives Bullheaded Delancey Brother a Run For His Money_ '!" Jack said, staring off at the headline board.

Tabby giggled at that, shaking her head as she readjusted the bag on her shoulder. "I think I oughtta hit the streets, fellas. It was nice gettin' ta meet all of ya."

"Hey, why don't we give ya the Newsies tour?"

"Yeah! Jack here knows jus' about all of the best places to stake out!" Crutchie affirmed, moving over and patting Jack on the shoulder with a beam of pride.

"Sure, 's long as we don't gotta go to Brooklyn…" the newest Newsie muttered, looking away.

"Why? Ya scared of Brooklyn?" Jack asked jokingly, smacking her on the arm in an attempt to lighten her mood.

It worked.

"Hey! Easy now, slugga," Tabitha shot back. "I ain't scared of nothin'. It's just Brooklyn an' I don't really get along too well."

"Well, we'll keep ya outta Brooklyn," Crutchie said, gently placing his free hand on her shoulder.

"And out of trouble," Davey said, nodding.

"Aw, enough wit' all this gushy stuff, fellas! I ain't no softie!" A low growl came from Tabby's mouth as she exposed a sharp canine tooth, and she looked to Jack. "Lead the way!"


	2. A Scuffle

**A/N: Brief reference of sexual assault here, plus a fight. I'll do my best to get the next part up by next Monday. It might not be as on-time as I'd like, so patience is appreciated.**

 **As always, comments and suggestions are welcome. If the fight scene is inaccurate, I'll do my best to fix it, but I did do some research.**

Tabby's day had been, for the most part, successful. She found herself with only 3 papes left over from her original bundle of 40. Granted, she had to… **ahem** …. "bend the story" just a bit, but she got 'em sold, and that was the important thing.

She stepped into the back of the line leading up to the newsstand and leaned on the wall. She was last in line, and no one seemed to be steppin' in behind her.

"Heya Tabby!" She heard a voice call out from in front of her, and she caught sight of little Les leaning out of the line, holding on to one of Davey's suspender straps to hold him upright and waving. Davey looked like he was about to fall over, which made the newbie start to chuckle.

Tabby waved back. This seemed to satisfy Les and he stopped pulling at Davey's suspender strap, much to the older boy's relief.

The other boys were gone by the time Tabby had gotten up to the front of the line. She turned in her papes and took her payment, and just as she was about to turn away she felt a hand on her shoulder. It turned her around, and she was face-to-face with the same numbskull from that morning.

"How's about we continue our conversation from this mornin', Sweetheart?" Maurice DeLancey purred, smiling crookedly.

"How's about we **don't**?" Tabitha replied, jerking her shoulder away and turning back around. She bumped into the other brother, and his grin matched that of his brother's.

"Aw, c'mon, we've had a long day," He said softly, but the softness of his voice held a razor's edge that said he clearly wasn't used to not getting what he wanted. "Why don't you stay a while?"

Tabby sidestepped Oscar and started walking away. "No thanks fellas. I got places to be." Nervousness rose in her throat, and her right hand went deep into her pocket, clutching something metal there.

"Where ya goin'?" Oscar said, grabbing her left arm. "It ain't even suppertime yet."

"Let me go." There was a soft snarl in Tabby's voice. Cold. Threatening. It was a don't-mess-with-me sounding snarl. An I'm-not-afraid-to-get-messy kind of snarl. It was the snarl of a cornered alley cat.

"Not until we have a little…. chat, first." Maurice said, licking his lips.

That was the final straw for the girl they were holding. Her right arm came out of her pocket and made contact with Oscar's face with such lightning speed that neither of them saw it coming. Oscar reeled back, releasing Tabby and clutching his now-bleeding nose with a curse.

On Tabby's right hand was a set of brass knuckles, glinting in the lamplight. She stepped back, preparing both hands for a fight. She looked like a boxer as one leg was placed just a little bit more forward than the other.

Maurice rushed at her and grabbed her arms, shoving her into the wall. "No one says 'no' to Oscar and Maurice DeLancey," he said, aiming a punch at her arm and eye. She managed to squirm away from the punch directed at her arm, but was unable to avoid the one to her eye.

Tabby yelped and struggled. "Get used to it," she replied, pounding her heel onto his toes. He let out a yowl of pain, but didn't loosen his grip. Instead of laying down another good punch, he kicked the heel of his other leg into Tabby's right shin full-force.

There was a loud **SNAP**! as she felt her leg break, and the newsie fell to the ground with a cry. She landed on her left side, and looked up at Maurice with unadulterated contempt, her eye starting to swell as he landed another kick to her face, slicing open her right cheek. Some of the blood dripped into her mouth.

"Ya gonna give up?" Maurice asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Oscar joined him, crooked nose still bleeding.

"Or are ya askin' for more?" Oscar finished for his brother, sounding a little stuffy. Both of the twins glared down at Tabby in a predatory manner, and the girl could only muster up one response through the pain and the fear she was feeling.

She spat right at their feet, a mixture of blood and saliva spattering their shoes.

Oscar and Maurice started to advance, before something came flying out of nowhere, tackling Oscar to the ground.

"Davey!" She heard a familiar voice yell as the figure grappled with its victim. "Get Maurice!"

Davey Jacobs came running around the corner, barrelling into the second brother like a freight train and moving him away from the Newsie's newest member.

Tabby looked at the figure who had tackled her first perpetrator, recognizing a mess of dark brown hair. "Jack?" She said in disbelief, forgetting her pain for a moment.

"Whaddaya still doin' here!?" he yelled incredulously, dodging a blow from a brass-knuckled fist. "We's got this, now go!"

"I can't-!" She felt someone grab her arms and pull her up, then someone else move their shoulder under hers, supporting her weight so it was all off of her broken leg. They were moving now.

"Hiya doll," the first boy said, and Tabby looked up to see a fox-like grin and icy blue eyes, with a couple of locks of curly, honey-brown hair poking out from underneath his hat. The boy was holding an unlit cigar in his mouth. "The name's Racetrack."

She looked at the other boy supporting her. He smiled lopsidedly. "Hi. I'm Romeo," he said flirtatiously, making the brunette scoff. His hair was black and his skin was an olive-color, and he had kind brown eyes.

The two lead her away from the commotion and to the safety of a small diner. Jacobi's. She knew the place well. They stopped every now and then, the boys both supporting her while she worked to catch her breath from the pain she was in. They finally reached the door, and Romeo held it open while Race helped get Tabby up the small step.

Inside was a whole smattering of different members of the newsies gang that she had seen this morning. Crutchie was sitting on a table but sprung to his feet as fast as he could when he saw how injured Tabby was.

Les was there too, looking worried, and he ran over to Tabby to inspect her leg. He sucked in a breath. "That looks bad…."

Race and Romeo sat Tabby down in a chair as someone else approached her. This time, it was a young woman, with delicate features and rusty red hair. She had ink stains all over her dress and hands, and her hair was in loose singlets around her shoulders. "Oh my goodness…." she said softly. "What happened?"

"The DeLancey bruddas happened…." Tabby said through gritted teeth. Mr. Jacobi brought some clean cloths and some glasses of cold water to help the girl clean herself up. Tabby muttered a "thank you" as she removed her brass knuckles and set them on the table.

Les looked at the metal object and took a wary step back, staring with wide eyes.

Tabby noticed as she dipped one of the cloths in the water and washed her face off, the blood quickly turning the white cloth red. After her face was cleaned of the blood, she held the cloth to the open gash on her cheek. She smiled, though it hurt, and said "Don' worry, Les. I only use 'em when I haveta." She quickly put them in her pocket, hiding them from view.

He relaxed, and Mr. Jacobi brought Tabby another glass of water, this time for her to drink. "Thanks, Mr. Jacobi," Tabby said, a smile being quickly replaced by a grimace as she moved her leg, trying to shift it into a more comfortable position.

"You're going to need to set that," The woman said gently, bringing a chair over and sitting across from Tabby. She offered a kind smile, and Tabby took a drink of water and smiled back. "I'm Katherine Plumber- sorry, Pulitzer."

Tabby looked surprised. "You're Pulitzer's kid?" she said, and then she smiled. "You didn' turn out half bad."

Katherine chuckled at that.

"My name's Tabby Howl." Tabs said, holding her hand out to shake.

Katherine took it with a nod and a smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Tabby."

"Likewise. So what's this about settin' my leg?"

"unless you want it to heal crooked, you're going to want to put the bones back in place." Katherine replied, rolling up her sleeves and tying back her hair in a ponytail. "I've done it twice before."

"It's gonna hurt, isn't it?"

"Yes. It will probably hurt worse than the broken leg itself." Katherine said.

Tabby used her arms to pull herself up to the top of the table, and gently moved her leg up so it was stretched out in front of her. "I can handle pain."

Crutchie came over and offered his hand. "Ya can squeeze it if it hurts." He said.

Tabby nodded, taking it, but saying, "I don't wanna break your hand, Crutchie."

"Nah, I'll be okay."

Katherine put her hands on Tabby's leg. "okay, relax your leg."

Tabby did as she was told to the best of her ability.

"Ready? One… two…. **THREE.!"**

Another loud **SNAP!** And Tabby cried out and cursed, squeezing Crutchie's hand enough to make him wince. Tabby was panting, still keeping an iron grip on Crutchie's hand.

Katherine took her hands off of Tabby's leg. "We're going to need to splint it now-"

The rushed sound of footsteps were right outside the diner, and Davey and Jack came running in, ready for another fight. "What happened? Who yelled? Who's hurt?" Jack said in rapid-fire succession, looking around frantically.

Tabby raised a hand. "It…. It was me, fellas…." she said through gritted teeth, then looked at Davey and Jack. "You two look like hell." Davey had a gash above his eyebrow and Jack had a bruise appearing on his cheek. Their hair was disheveled and there were scratches on their arms and hands.

"It's not so bad," Davey said, brushing some black hair out of his face.

"You should see the otha guys." Jack said with a grin.

"T-Tabby…?" Crutchie squeaked. "you're still holdin' my hand-!"

Tabby released Crutchie's fingers and looked concerned. "Aw, geez, I didn't break nothin', did I?"

"N-nah, I'm fine…" Crutchie said with a smile. He rubbed his hands, grimacing slightly. "Quite a grip you got there…"

"Yeah, I saw the broken nose that you gave Oscar. You've got quite an arm too, Tabs." Jack said with a grin as he pulled up a chair next to Katherine. The young woman looked him over briefly, making sure he wasn't too badly hurt, before kissing his cheek and causing him to blush. "Where, ah…. Where'd ya learn ta slug like that?"

"I… ah… I used ta help my pops with loadin' and unloadin' produce for his store. Years of doin' that plus helping him scare off riffraff that thought his store was easy pickin's helped me with my fightin."

"'Used to?'" Katherine asked as she started to bind up Tabby's leg and splint it with the leg of a damaged chair. "What happened? Why did you stop?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to run a store when the owner's dead as a doornail…" Tabby said, looking at her shoes as Katherine continued to wrap her leg.

"What about your Mom?" Les asked, but Davey elbowed him.

"S'alright, Davey. Les ain't doin' me any harm." Tabby said, shrugging. "I never met my Ma. Pops was the one who raised me."

"How long have you been on your own, Tabs?" Jack inquired quietly, looking concerned again.

"Since I was fourteen, so 'bout three years now." Tabitha sighed. "Ya get used to bein' on your own that you forget what it's like for people to take care of ya."

"Well…." Jack started, smiling. "Ya got us, now."

Tabby cocked her head. "Whaddaya mean, Kelley?"

"What I **mean** is," Jack started, "You're a newsie now, ain't'cha? Newsies stick together." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You ain't alone anymore, Tabs."

"You don't ever have to be alone again, okay?" Davey said, adding his hand to Jack's.

"We have your back." Les remarked, putting his small palm on top of his brother's.

"And, from now on, we always will," Crutchie finished, putting his hand on her arm.


	3. Author's Update!

**A/N:**

 **An update! I'll be able to get the next section up by Friday, at the latest Saturday! I have some things going on this week, but I'm still going!**

 **In the meantime, please read and comment and let me know what you think of the first two Chapters. I know chapter two is a little longer than the first, but I couldn't find a good place to divide it. Feedback is much appreciated!**

 **Thank you!**


	4. An Invitation

"Hey, Tabs, ya got a place to spend the night?" Jack asked, waving at Davey and Les as they both headed off towards their home. Crutchie hobbled next to Jack and Tabby as they walked down the street.

The crippled boy had lent the newest Newsie his crutch, and Jack was supporting Crutchie under the shoulder until they managed to get back to their balcony.

"None close by. I was figurin' I'd just find a safe alley and crash there," Tabby replied with a shrug. She winced as she put weight on her injured leg on accident, but recovered her neutral expression quickly.

Jack and Crutchie shared a look, and Jack adopted his trademark lopsided grin. "Well, that won't do."

Tabby looked at him with a scowl. "What are you on about, Kelley?" she asked harshly, suspicion lacing her voice.

"I'm jus' sayin', if you don't have anywhere to go," Jack began, looking at Crutchie with a smile.

"You could come with us!" Crutchie finished, smiling as well.

Tabitha hesitated. "I…. I dunno, fellas…"

"Aw, come on, Tabby!" Crutchie protested. "You'd have a whole gang of Newsies watchin' your back, a high-up place to sleep…"

"A cool breeze helpin' ya relax, stars twinklin' over the New York skyline…" Jack mentioned, gesturing overhead, a gleam appearing in his eyes.

"And…. you'd be away from the streets." Crutchie finished quietly.

Tabby couldn't help but smile at the description. "Well…. Alright."

Jack patted her on the shoulder gently with his free hand. "Attagirl."

 **A/N: So this chapter is SUUUUUPER short. They won't always be this short, I promise. I'll try to get the next chapter up by next Sunday. That one will probably be a little bit longer than this one.**

 **As always, feedback is appreciated!**


	5. Another Update!

Hey guys! Sorry that the next update didn't get up when I thought it would. I've been working on something very special! The next Newsies update should be soon ish, once I'm do e with my pet project.

Until next time!

-Me!


	6. Stars and Sunrises

It was early in the morning, before the bell had even begun to chime. Tabby had set herself up on a balcony just below the rooftop where Jack and Crutchie were sleeping soundly. She had it all to herself, as Jack insisted. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

She stared at the buildings in Manhattan, watching as the sky began to lighten little by little. Tabby hummed softly to herself, a tune that her father had sung to her when she was little. Her legs, including her splinted, braced leg from the day before, hung over the railing. She was, for the most part, dressed. The only things she hadn't put on were her vest and her hat, both of which were right beside her. Her white button-down's sleeves were rolled up to her elbows.

There was a creak behind her, and her head whipped around. Behind her was Racetrack, looking curious. His suspenders weren't over his shoulders yet, and he had his unlit cigar in his mouth. He cocked his head at her. "Do ya usually get up this early, Tabs?"

Tabby raised an eyebrow and remained silent. She hadn't told him her name.

Race seemed to notice this and surmise the thoughts running around in the other Newsie's head. "Word gets around fast. Our job is to report the news, after all." He shrugged. "'Sides, you've gotta be the only girl Newsie in all Manhattan."

"Ya wanna take a seat, Racetrack? Or are ya jus' gonna stand there wit' that cigar hangin' outta your mouth while you keep yappin'?" Tabby asked, waving at the empty balcony beside her.

Race smiled. "Sure." He walked over and plopped down on Tabby's right. "Whatcha doin' up so early?"

"Waitin'." She said simply.

"Waitin' for what?"

"The sunrise." Tabby gestured at the New York skyline. "Sometimes I'm scared it ain't gonna show, so's I sit up and wait and watch." She looked up at directly above her and smiled a little at the stars that were barely clinging on to the last bits of purple that the sky had to offer. "It's never failed before."

Race chuckled, which made Tabitha bristle. "Whattaya laughin' at, smartass?" She snapped.

"Nothin. Jus' seems a little silly to be afraid of the sun not risin', that's all." The boy replied, still smirking.

"Yeah, well…. when almost every other thing that's supposed ta be a constant in life has failed, ya start worryin' about the little things. The silly things." Tabby growled, crossing her arms. "Friends bail. Family dies. Home gets taken away, and with it a steady job." She shook her head, looking at the streets now. "The sunrise and the stars are th' only things that haven't failed me yet."

Race remained silent for a spell, contemplating this. "So…. how's about the song you was just hummin'?" He asked. "What's it from?"

"A song Pops used to sing me to sleep with. Helps me relax."

"Ah." The blonde smiled. "Sounds pretty. You got a good set of pipes on ya."

A loud chiming interrupted the next thought Tabitha was going to voice. Racetrack stood. "Welp, I better go make sure Albert, Elmer, and Romeo get ready before Jack starts bellowin' like a bull. I'll leave you ta finish gettin' ready." He gave her a little salute before turning to go. Something made him pause. "Also, Jack wanted me to give ya this, although he thought you'd be up much later than right now, but no time like the present, right?" He reached around the corner of the doorway and brought out a crutch made out of some dark wood planks. The padding for the arm rest was made from a plaid blue cloth wrapped around the handle a couple of times. "Until your leg gets better." He leaned it against the doorway and departed.

Tabitha smiled and used the railing to pull herself up. She grabbed the crutch and used it to support her and keep her weight off of her bad foot. "Thanks, Kelley." She muttered, before turning around and looking at the bright yellow that was now gracing the orange sky.

"Right on time." She said softly, smiling a little wider.


	7. An Arrangement

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

Hey guys. I apologize for the lack of updates. In all honesty, college had been kicking me in the butt, and my summer wasn't much better. I finally had the time today to finish the next chapter! Thanks so much for the support and the follows, it really means a lot to me that people like my writing.

To avoid any continuity errors, I reread my previous chapters. I hope you guys like this one, and that the next chapter goes up soon! I'm thinking about having the newsies gang meet up with the Brooklyn boys next, but I'm not sure. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to find a way to wheedle that into the story!

Thanks for reading!

END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE

Tabby sat outside and waited by the base of the building, fully dressed, sitting on the steps. One by one, the other newsies that Tabby had seen the day before in Jacobi's appeared outside, too. Romeo was talking with a redhead boy with a bandage across the bridge of his nose, gesturing wildly with his hands as the redhead boy just rolled his eyes. Crutchie was whispering something to Jack, who burst out laughing, holding his sides as he leaned on the wall. Crutchie beamed. Racetrack came down with a bespectacled, African-American boy, and they were talking about what they wanted the headline to be. There were others, but Tabby noticed Jack and Crutchie looking at her. She rolled her eyes and waved them over.

"What?" She asked.

"What what, Tabs?" Jack said, attempting to look confused.

"Don't gimme that, Kelley. What's with the looks?"

Jack stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke up. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to get in line this mornin', Tabs. Not after them two bullheaded jerks picked on ya…. And what with your new bum leg an' all….."

Tabby bristled and stood up. "Whatsamatter, Kelley?" She began, staring the other boy right in the eyes. "You think I can't take care of myself cuz I'm a girl? That it?"

Jack's eyes widened. "No! No, not-! Jeez, Tabs, no!" Jack scratched the back of his head. "All I'm sayin' is-"

"All he's sayin, Tabs, is that the DeLanceys hold grudges. They'll have it out for ya now. It wouldn't be safe for ya, or for any of our pals for that matter if they's were in the same position, to be in that line with them beady eyes on ya all day," Crutchie took over gently while Jack floundered for words.

Tabitha seemed to deflate a little. "Yeah…. S'pose you're right, Crutchie." She sighed, then looked back at Jack. "How'm I supposed to earn anythin' now, though? I can't exactly go and get my papes if I don't get in line, and my earnin's re only gonna get me so many meals until they're gone…"

Jack grinned. "I ain't sayin' you don't sell, Tabs. With that leg of yours, you could probably sell twice the papes. What I'm sayin' is that one of the boys'll take your coin and grab your papes, then once ya sell, if you got leftovers, one of the boys'll turn the papes back in and give you the buyback."

"And this's s'posed to happen for how long, Kelley? I don't like havin' other people fight my battles for me," Tabby said.

"Jus' until you can getcha legs under you again, or at least until the DeLanceys stop holdin' that grudge," Jack replied With a wry grin.

Tabitha considered this for a moment. "Alright. But I ain't payin' the boys who take the papes up 'n' back. I do the work of sellin', so it's my coin."

Jack nodded. "Square deal." He held out his hand and spat in it, and Tabby did the same. They shook on it.

"We'd better get goin', or nobody's gettin' paid an' Pulitzer will think the Newsies are on strike again!" Racetrack yelled.

"He's got a point!" Romeo commented. "We gotta get a move on!"

The Newsies set off towards the paper stand, Crutchie hanging back and keeping pace with Tabitha as she struggled to keep up with the herd on her crutch and busted leg.


	8. An Unfamiliar Feeling

**Author's note: It's about time for me to introduce an idea that I had since the very beginning of this fanfiction. I hinted at it some in the earlier chapters, and it's about time to get the ball rolling with this particular plot aspect in my opinion.**

 **As always, I hope I'm doing a good job with the story! Feedback is always appreciated!**

A few months later, Tabitha Howl stood in line to turn in her papes. Her leg, though it ached every now and then, was mostly healed. She could walk without the crutches, and it seemed the leg healed properly, so she didn't have a limp (to her semi-dismay. She knew the limp would have been good for business).

During the course of those months, she had grown closer with each of the Newsies. She had laughed with them, fought with them, and in some cases, cried with them. Tabs had given Jack girl advice when he and Katherine were in a tough spot and the leader of the Newsies had no idea what to do. She read the headliners with Specs and the political cartoons and comics with Racetrack and Romeo. Most of all, however, it seemed that she and Crutchie were getting closer. She enjoyed his sense of humor and his loyalty to Jack. She liked the quiet sense of perseverance Crutchie emanated in any task he did. While the other newsies teased him about his limp, Tabitha would sit next to him and simply talk about anything. The weather, the latest headline, how if Katherine and Jack weren't dating, Katherine would have murdered him by now…. And, after every conversation, Tabitha felt like she was walking with a ten-ton weight lifted off of her shoulders.

There was a period of the day after all of the papes were sold that the newsies gathered in a location (whether it be Jacobi's before dinnertime, outside of the Theater, or right outside of the Newsies abode) and exchanged laughs and roughoused and talked about their day. Today, they were in Jacobi's.

"-And then I says to him: 'Well, I never _said_ that was in the papes!'" Racetrack finished his story as the other Newsies groaned.

"It's a miracle you made it away from the fella before he gave you a knuckle sandwich," Finch said, twirling his slingshot in his hands. "I woulda decked you then 'n' there."

"Well, it's a good thing you ain't the one I was sellin' to, huh?" Race shot back almost immediately, ducking a playful swing from Finch's fist.

Les sat next to Tabby on a table. He swung his feet back and forth as he watched the older boys talk.

"What about you, Shortstack?" Tabby asked, nudging Les with her shoulder. "How'd your day sellin' papes go?"

"Well, I sold half of my papes to this one lady who-"

"Les!" Davey started. "Did you lie _again_?"

Les looked sheepish. "Maybe I… stretched the truth a little?"

Tabby raised an eyebrow. "Alright…. What was it ya said to the lady?"

"I told her I was supporting my family…."

"That's true, at least-" Davey started.

"Of twelve," Les finished, closing his eyes and grimacing for Davey's reaction.

"WHAT!?" Davey cried, incredulous while Jack and the other Newsies cracked up around him.

"Aw, C'mon, Davey," Tabitha said, wiping her eyes. "The kid has a natural-born talent for papes. And besides, there's at least twelve of us here, ain't there? And ain't we a family?"

Davey grumbled and shook his head. "You're all bad influences on my brother."

"Hey, you're stuck with us, pal!" Jack said, punching Davey lightly on the shoulder.

Tabby ruffled Les's hair and stood up, looking around the room to see if she could spot who she was looking for.

Crutchie was sitting off to the side, watching the other Newsies with a smile on his face. It got wider when he saw Tabitha approaching. "Heya, Tabby Cat!" Crutchie said playfully. "Pull up a chair and come and watch the menagerie with me!"

"Aw, Crutch, you sure? Ya got a pretty sweet corner setup over here without me."

"Positive! Two's a perfect number for observin' the local animals." He patted the chair. "Siddown."

Tabby sat, watching the boys argue and laugh and chat with a smile on her face mirroring Crutchie's. They were quiet for a long time.

"Hey, Crutchie?" She started, looking at him.

"What's up, Tabs? Everythin' okay?" Crutchie asked.

"Yeah, no, everythin's fine. I jus' wanted ta thank you for all of the support and help ya've given me, cuz I don't think I ever thanked ya properly."

"Nah, Tabs, it wasn't any sorta trouble. I woulda done the same for any of the other Newsies if their leg'd been busted."

"I'm glad you helped, Crutch," Tabitha said quietly, looking at his face and smiling a little. Her heart beat a little faster. "I'm not sure I woulda got through it if it wasn't for your help.." she cleared her throat, realizing what she said. "And the help of the rest of the boys, of course!"

Crutchie smiled brightly right back at her. "Anytime, Tabs! You're part of the Newsies! We'd better be treating ya like one."

"Fellas, you gotta clear out before the dinner rush if you don't plan on payin'!" A voice called from the kitchen.

"Yes Mr. Jacobi!" The Newsies called out in unison as they began to push their chairs back in and move the tables back where they belonged.

"We'd better help the boys," Tabby said, standing and offering her hand to Crutchie.

"Yeah, I agree."

...

It was Dusk when the newsies got back to their complex,and as the other Newsies filled away, Tabitha caught a glimpse of Jack and Katherine around the corner, and it didn't surprise her that they were kissing. It warmed her heart to see Jack so happy, and she had gotten used to the pair's public show of affection towards each other. It was rather endearing, but she felt a twinge of envy. She didn't realize why until she turned away, going to the fire escape that led up to her sleeping place and someone called out from down beneath her.

"Hey, Tabs!" Crutchie was standing at the base of the fire escape. "G'night!" He gave her a wave.

She smirked and waved back. "Night, Crutchie. Sleep tight."

"You too!"

Tabitha's rhythmic steps up the ladder led her to her balcony where she took off her vest and her hat and placed them neatly next to her rolled up other shirt. Her shoes were the next to come off before she was comfortable enough to recline. As she lay on her back, staring at the stars, she sighed. "Crutchie Morris, what're ya doin' to me?


End file.
